As a law firm manager or owner, there is so much time in the day. Where a law manager focuses their time and attention can go a long way toward the success or failure of their law firm.

With clients, employees, third-party vendors, solicitors, and others, there are time bandits all around. Everybody is going to want your time and attention. In all likelihood, your inbox and voicemail could be full for many days. In even the smallest law firms, there might also be a line in front of your office door or lobby of folks who want to speak with you.

Ultimately, you cannot attend to everything on any given day. Some matters will deserve your time and attention. Meanwhile, other matters are not that important. Versus spending your time and attention on it, it might be that you respond another day. It could also be a situation where you delegate the matter to one of your subordinates within the firm or dispense of the minor matters as quickly as possible.

Where Is The Focus of Your Attention?

Any law firm manager or owner needs to take an honest assessment of where they are primarily focusing their time and energy. Are they spending on urgent matters that are of the utmost importance? Or are they spending their valuable time on matters that are not that important?

Long ago, Stephen Covey wrote the book: First Things First. Law firm managers and owners who are largely successful get this principle. They spend the bulk of their day on important matters.

On the other hand, those who struggle often do not employ this strategy. Instead, the bulk of their day is spent on minor matters that are probably little more than annoyances.

What’s A Major or Minor Matter?

What’s a major or minor matter is going to vary based on the law firm firm and their priorities. However, for most law firms, it is vitally important that the law firm employees provide competent, communicative, and diligent representation for their clients. If not, the law firm might not be in business very long.

Law firms also have to be on a sound financial footing. If not, a law firm will not be able to meet its financial obligations in terms of paying employees, rent, taxes, insurance, and other necessary obligations. Thus, employees need to be billing their hours, minimizing accounts receivables, and bringing in new business into the firm.

On the other hand, on any given day, there can be a litany of other issues within the law firm. The possibilities are endless. But it could be a technological issue, two employees not getting along, a minor facilities issue within the office space, an employee showing up to work a little late or not dressing appropriately, etc.

In the end, most of these matters amount to annoyance. While annoyances need some time and attention, it is normally better for a law firm owner or manager to deal with the major issues first. In terms of minor issues, delegation can be key in terms of resolving these issues. If the law firm manager or owner needs to get involved, it can often be important to resolve the issue as quickly as possible so that the focus can go back to major issues.

In the end, if a law firm is going to succeed, a law firm manager or owner needs to know the difference between major and minor issues. The priority generally needs to be on the major matters.